In homes, churches and schools in which small children are present it is essential that items which could be hazardous or injurious to the health and well being of a child be kept out of the child's reach or under lock. The typical home contains literally hundreds of medicines, poisons, solvents, corrosives, flammable materials, insecticides, alcoholic substances, knives, razors, saws and other substances and objects which must be kept away from small chidren. While the safety of the child is of paramount concern, another concern is the prevention of spills and the creation of a mess. A spilled box of detergent, a spilled bottle of syrup, an overturned container of flour or a floor full of pots and pans can cause significant temporary aggravation.
A common feature of many prior art approaches is the assumption that a toddler or child lacks the intelligence or muscular coordination required to perform certain release manipulation steps. In view of the wide variations in the natural ability of children and their ability to learn by observing the actions of adutls, such an assumption appears to be valid for only a relatively small number of children.
Children who reach the climbing age defy all attempts to place hazardous objects out of their reach. As indicated above, safety catches, unless of the lock and key type, are not always effective against the precocious child. Moreover, the more effective the safety catch the greater the inconvenience for the adult who must unlock or disconnect the safety catch each time access to a cabinet, drawer or the like is desired.
Accordingly, there is a need for means which can be operated by an adult, but not a child and which will permit ready access to a cabinet, door or container without the gyrations necessary to undo the typical safety catch. The present invention achieves the goal of a handle which is child proof, yet readily and easily useable by an adult.